Board & Management
meet our management teamBoard
Anna Guillan AM
Chair
Business/Government
Anna Guillan is a respected and highly experienced Non-Executive Director.
Her service includes Chair of Western Sydney Parklands Trust; Deputy Chair of Tourism Australia; Board Member of CareFlight; Board Member of Tourism & Events Queensland; Deputy Chair of Australian Tourism Export Council.
Anna has a strong strategic commercial background with demonstrated success across diverse sectors including Visitor Economy; Marketing; Resorts; Destination Planning; Aero-Medical; and Health Services. She is also the Australian representative for Kerzner International, a leading international developer and operator of destination resorts.
Anna is Co-Founder of cancer charity, the NELUNE Foundation, and is a recipient of the Order of Australia, acknowledging her service to the Australian tourism industry and to the community through support for social welfare and health organisations.
Clive Cachia
Professional Services (Legal)
Clive Cachia is a corporate transactional lawyer predominantly focused on major infrastructure, logistics, energy and resources projects. He also provides specific regulatory and commercial advice to multi-national and domestic clients in these and other heavily regulated industries including education and agribusiness. Clive also advises established and growing corporations on incorporated and unincorporated joint ventures, in-bound and out-bound investment arrangements, corporate governance, offtake and logistics agreements and other service and operational arrangements.
Dianne Tipping
Export Capability for Business
Dianne Tipping – Chair Export Council of Australia / Managing Director Excon International Pty. Ltd. Dianne has had a long and varied career in international trade promotion and facilitation. Dianne Tipping is the founder and Managing Director of Excon International Pty Ltd. a Global Management Consultancy business that specialises in the teaching/training and management of International trade – especially focusing on the on-going evolution by recognising the changing needs of the international business community. Over the years Dianne has increasingly developed practical programs and creative business tools that build the capability and capacity of companies to grow internationally.
Jacqueline Brinkman
Communications & Government
Jacqueline Brinkman is an economic development specialist and CEO of Economic Development Australia (EDA), the national peak body for economic development. Under Jacqueline’s leadership, EDA membership has more than tripled to over 1200 members in just 4 years. Jacqueline is one of Australia’s most experienced industry cluster managers and she has facilitated industry development and new investment across a range of sectors. Her advocacy and lobbying has resulted in legislative change at a local, state and federal level. Jacqueline was CEO of Blue Mountains Economic Enterprise for 5 years during which, she led the economic recovery following the 2013 bushfires.
Jacqueline has held senior executive roles in the tourism industry in Cairns and NSW, is an award-winning copy writer and an experienced company director.
Kylie Hargreaves
Government/Business
Kylie Hargreaves is an experienced diplomat and senior public servant. As Deputy Secretary (Deputy CEO) for various portfolios in the NSW Government and as Australia’s Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner (Austrade) in the UK, USA and Spain, Kylie has worked with hundreds of small, medium and large companies to grow their businesses through export and/or to invest in Australia. She has a track record in delivering commercial results, innovative programs and policy reforms across consumer products, services, resources, energy and infrastructure. A NSW Finalist in the 2017 Telstra Business Women’s Awards, Kylie is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, has held numerous Board positions and has an Honours degree in International Business Relations.
Michael Johnson
Tourism
As CEO of Tourism Accommodation Australia, National/NSW, Michael calls on his experience within the hotel industry which spans over four decades across Australia and New Zealand. Previously in the business of managing four and five-star business hotels, resorts and tourist attractions, Michael shares insight into all facets of the tourism accommodation industry, from operations to senior management.
Michael was with SPHC for over 20 years, 7 years with Pan Pacific Hotels Group and most recently, as General Manager at PARKROYAL Parramatta where he managed the redevelopment, extension and 2016 relaunch. Since April 2019, Michael has led the team at Tourism Accommodation Australia – National/NSW, liaising closely with member hotels and with Governments to combat hotel industry specific issues. The current focus is related to the effects of COVID-19 such as state health orders, quarantine hotel programs, temporary and skilled migration and the skills and unskilled labour shortages gap.
Narelle Kennedy AM
Innovation/Clusters
Narelle Kennedy AM is a respected and authoritative thought leader on business innovation and a sought-after expert commentator on emerging business issues and future trends. Narelle owns and operates her own innovation research and consulting business. Narelle was the founding CEO of the pioneering business-backed research think tank, the Australian Business Foundation, Australia’s largest private sector funder and partner of policy research into industry and innovation. She is a skilled researcher and research project manager. A proven mentor to students and business enterprises, an effective public policy analyst, adviser, manager and activist in community and not for profit organisations.
Narelle specialises in research, innovation, industry and small business policy, business regulation, regional development, consumer affairs and competition policy.
Nigel Hennessy
Defence/Innovation/Technology
Nigel Hennessy is a professional company director, entrepreneur, analytical and strategic advisor. He has had an extensive career as a CEO and director for public, private and not for profit companies in Australia and the USA. He was deputy Managing Director of BAE Systems Australia; Managing Director Combined Communications Network (ASX.CCZ) during its merger with Cabcharge Australia (ASX.CAB); Regional Managing Director of Simoco Pacific (ex Philips Mobile); Managing Director EASAMS Ltd and Chairman and CEO of AquaSpy, Inc in the USA.
Nigel is a mathematical analyst and started his career in SIGINT during the cold war in the UK before moving to Australia and developing an extensive C-Suite executive career in defence and technology.
Nigel is currently Chair of Spatial Hub Analytics Pty Ltd; Deputy Chair Farmanco Consultants (WA); Deputy Chair Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM); NED at the Institute of Music (AIM); director at Project Alpha Plus and a Fellow and Councillor for the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).
Steve Lennon
Economic Analysis
Steve is a senior strategy and technology advisor to Boards and C-Level executives, experienced audit & risk committee member and company director. He originally qualified as a Chartered Accountant and has served as managing director, Australia of the global creative agency Imagination; principal, management consulting with Arup, the design and engineering firm and in consulting leadership roles at several global IT services firms including DXC, SMS Management & Technology, Fujitsu, CGI and Cognizant.
In his executive role as Practice Director – Australia at GHD Digital, Steve advises private and public sector clients in the energy, water, built environment and infrastructure sectors on the digital transformation of their assets, operations and business models so they can rapidly adapt to change and remain competitive.
As client and consultant, banker and borrower, investor and CEO, Steve has built, bought and sold several businesses, and been involved in several start-ups in the digital, construction and professional services sectors. He is an accomplished author and public speaker.
Steve is a Graduate Member of AICD, Non-Executive Board Member of Basketball NSW and a Member of the Business Dynamism & Competitiveness Advisory Committee for CEDA.
Management
Therese O'Dwyer
Mark Wigley
